Man fined after breaking into viral hippo Moo Deng's enclosure

A man has been fined $300 (£223) by a Thai court after breaking into the enclosure of Moo Deng, an endangered baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation, the zoo's director said.

Narongwit Chodchoy, who runs Khao Kheow Open Zoo, told AFP that the man, who entered Moo Deng's pen last month, had been found guilty by a local court.

Footage released by local media showed a man inside the enclosure, recording Moo Deng with a tablet.

The zoo, which is about two hours drive from Bangkok, said that the pygmy hippo -who went viral in 2024 after the zoo shared videos of her antics on social media - was unharmed but "slightly startled".

The zoo's director said the court decision "shows that no one can violate animals' rights, no matter whether they are in an enclosure or in the wild".

He told AFP: "We train staff on what to do if any animals escape, but from now on, we will have to train them on what to do if there are any intruders.

"We learned from this lesson and will not allow it to happen again - not to Moo Deng and not to other animals in the zoo."

The man who broke into Moo Deng's enclosure was fined 10,000 baht ($300), and the incident has resulted in the zoo increasing security patrols, Chodchoy said.

Moo Deng - whose name roughly translates to "bouncy pig" - became an internet sensation in 2024 shortly after her birth that July.

Videos of the hippo went viral, memes were created, and visitor numbers at the zoo increased hugely as thousands flocked each weekend to catch a glimpse of Moo Deng.

A range of merchandise was even created, with fans of the pygmy hippo able to buy Moo Deng-inspired clothes.